Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
see 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 2.5 times more doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 73.2% more access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 172.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Afghanistan, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 54.5% more likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 6.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 19.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 15.8 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 77.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 49.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
have 47.2% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 4.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 11.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 40.6% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 10.8 times more likely to be murdered
Afghanistan has a homicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
Infrastructure
find 66.9 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 23.4% more strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 67.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 24.6 times more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.